Select Baltimore City Schools Closed Monday, All City Schools Dismiss Early, Some Counties Closing Early

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Monday, January 8, 2018
Vanessa Herring, WBAL-TV 11

Credit: WBAL-TV 11

Some Baltimore City schools will be closed Monday after repairs were made to dozens of schools where heat was an issue.

Calverton Elementary/Middle School will be closed, as well as Bay Brook Elementary/Middle, Furley Elementary and James McHenry Elementary/Middle. L

All other schools opened on their regular schedules.

Later, Lakewood Elementary dismissed students as a result of a pipe that burst around 8:00 a.m. Then Guilford Elementary/Middle School, Medfield Heights Elementary School, Independence School Local I were dismissed early because of heating issues.

It was later announced that all Baltimore City Schools will dismiss 3 hours early due to weather.

Additionally, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County and Howard County Public Schools will be closing three hours early on Monday (1/8) due to inclement weather. See full list of school announcements here.

Pugh says she is working on a plan that when schools close, for whatever reason, children will receive meals they are supposed to get and they will be directed to recreation centers. "When our schools close, there must be a place for our children to go," Pugh added.

"We don't know what the outcome is going to be in terms of total fixing of all the schools, but we do know we are committed to do that," Pugh said, adding that contractors will be available 24/7.

Previously, Pugh said she was feeling good about the progress being made to repair heating systems in city schools. Pugh and school officials toured Frederick Douglass High School in west Baltimore earlier Sunday.

School officials said the sustained cold weather is straining the district's aging buildings, and while repairs are being made, new problems are popping up. Pugh said a boiler was fixed at Frederick Douglass, but a pipe burst after the repair was made.

Frederick Douglass is one of three schools that Pugh said officials will be paying close attention to, and the buildings will be monitored around the clock.

School officials said that as of Sunday morning crews were working to resolve issues in about 20 buildings.

"We're making a great effort. We've had a lot of crews, we have a lot of partners who are helping us, so we're very confident about being able to open tomorrow," Baltimore City schools Chief Operating Officer Keith Scroggins said.

"We believe that our children deserve the very best, and I want them to know that they deserve the very best, and we will do everything we can to make sure that that happens," Pugh said.

In a letter sent out Sunday, district CEO Sonja Brookins Santelises said, "Beginning tomorrow (Monday), here's what you can expect: Every student will be in a safe, warm learning space, or the school won't be open."